4-year-old On a Snowy Evening is dead after breaking down (Equibase: “took a series of bad steps out of the starting gate”) in the 8th yesterday at Saratoga. Two races back, June 24 at Belmont, On a Snowy Evening “stumbled badly falling to her face at the start,” DNF. Perhaps relevant, perhaps not. In any event, she is gone, yet another sentient being consumed by this archaic gambling game.
I memorized this in 6th grade. Too bad On a Snowy Evening didn’t get those many miles before she slept. R.I.P.
The greed in racing is sickening. Healthy horses do not trip. Horses have been proven to be quicker than cats and they absolutely hate to fall, so are extremely careful. Racehorse trainers know so little about horses, and do not want to know either. It’s all about money.
As Maureen mentioned, horses hate to fall and will do anything to keep their feet. As a prey animal, staying upright and ready to run means a better chance of survival. “Falling to her face” in her June 24 race must have filled On a Snowy Evening with such angst. Now, not even two months later, the little filly is dead.
Abigail Adsit was the trainer of On a Snowy Evening. Adsit is no stranger to horrific deaths of her racehorses…just over a year ago, her filly Lavendar Road required euthanasia due to the injuries suffered right after being scratched from her race. From the ESPN article titled “Adsit moves forward from tragic loss”;
http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/blog/_/name/ehalt_bob/id/11349869/adsit-moves-forward-tragic-loss
“But minutes before the daughter of First Defence was to be loaded in the starting gate, jockey Junior Alvarado felt something was amiss. Lavender Road was tying up, or cramping.
She was scratched and unsaddled, and after the race she was being led off the track when stress and the humidity of the day overwhelmed her.
In front of the walking path horses use to step onto the track, the filly collapsed…[and] was diagnosed with heat exhaustion, a frightening but usually quickly remedied ailment. In full view of the patrons in the grandstand and clubhouse, Lavender Road was treated with water and ice to bring down her temperature and after a few minutes, she rose. But Lavender’s Road’s legs immediately grew wobbly and she collapsed to the ground once again.
Over the course of the next 45 minutes – as the day’s racing card was put on hold – Lavender Road rose approximately 10 more times, only to keep grotesquely falling in a disturbing sequence of events.
Finally, when it became clear that Lavender Road could not leave the track, she was sedated and vanned to the nearby Rood & Riddle clinic for treatment. After an uneasy night, the next morning Adsit received the call that anyone associated with horses dreads most. At some point in the ordeal, Lavender Road had fractured her neck and had to be humanely destroyed.”
Horrific. But a couple of things that jumped out at me (AFTER the most disturbing visual of this little filly collapsing and trying to rise TEN TIMES)…1), the “stress overwhelmed her”?…apologists, I thought these horses just LOVED to run…so WHAT STRESS? and 2), “In full view of the patrons” is most certainly implying that watching Lavendar Road collapse and attempt to get up over and over was disturbing for them…well to those “poor” patrons who had to look away, “When something is so horrible we can’t stand to look at it, maybe we shouldn’t tolerate it.” If Lavendar Road had to ENDURE it – so YOU could be entertained that day – you damn well better WATCH it.
I am so sick of the killing.
RIP On a Snowy Evening. Your exploitation is over.
Joy,
Something about the breakdown of this beautiful little filly “On A Snowy Evening” doesn’t sit right with me. 2 races back on June 24th at Belmont she stumbled, and fell to her face and did not finish. It would seem very likely to me that she sustained an injury in that race. 2 races later she stumbles again out of the gate and breaks down. It would not be any surprise to me if this horse was injured, pumped full of drugs, and sent out to race in that state. Many horses breakdown from this scenario. These low life trainers do it all the time. Abigail Adsit is no exception. I don’t believe in coincidences, especially in the racing industry; this is a more plausible explanation. Rest in Peace “On A Snowy Evening” you are finally free now.
Marlene Thornley
I agree 100% with you, Marlene. Of course, Adsit would claim she is not responsible and is blameless in this filly’s death…just as she did in her other filly’s – Lavendar Road’s – horrific death. It’s always “one of those things”…the “down” in the ups and downs of racing…the HORSE’s fault. Right.